1) “The Bachelorette,” 8-10 p.m. today, ABC. A week before the finale, there’s lots of work to do. Last week, Michael Allio – 36, a widower and the only remaining contestant older than Katie Thurston (shown here), 30 – quit after a tender talk with his son, who missed him. That leaves Blake Moynes, 30, a Canadian wildlife manager and two sales guys, Greg Grippo, 27, and Justin Glaze, 26. Still remaining are the hometown visits and the nights when each guy is invited to an overnight date; usually, the guy says yes.
2) Olympics, NBC and more. Now that track has started, the final week is packed. Today (4-11 a.m. ET), Peacock has three gymnastics finals and three track finals; tonight (8-11:30 p.m. ET), NBC reruns many of those and adds four track finals. On the next three mornings after that (to 11 a.m.), Peacock totals a dozen live finals of gymnastics and track; NBC reruns many of them at night, and adds live coverage of five more track finals, plus women’s beach volleyball – which has its finals Thursday evening.
3) Football opener, 8 p.m. ET Thursday, Fox, pre-game at 7:30. Yes, other sports intrude on Olympics time. ABC even has baseball (Cubs-White Sox) at 7 p.m. ET Sunday; Fox has boxing at 8 Saturday … plus this pre-season opener for pro football. It’s the Hall of Fame game, in Canton, Ohio. Last year’s game was supposed to have the Steelers and Cowboys, both teams, coming off 8-8 seasons, but was canceled because of COVID. The Steelers soared to 12-5, the Cowboys fell to 6-10; now they collide.
4) “American Experience,” 9 and 10 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. At Olympic time, we reflect on moments when sports and society entwine: In 1936, boxer Max Schmeling — an ex-champ, 30 and considered past his prime – upset Joe Louis, 22, a rising star. Adolf Hitler saw it as a symbol of Aryan supremacy. That summer, Hitler hosted the Olympics … and fumed as Jesse Owens, a Black American, won four gold medals; two years later, Louis beat Schmeling. These reruns are rich in details about the athletes.
5) “Good Trouble,” 10 p.m. Wednesday, Freeform. Past romances have a strong tug, in a solid episode. Davia likes a co-worker … but Dennis is back, making a wild career shift. Callie is gaga over Gael … but he’s distracted as a dad-to-be, and she has a big law case, in which she’s competing with her ex-lover. There’s more here, including Alice’s struggles at a comedy workshop and Mariana’s new world: Vastly underemployed as a receptionist at the law office, she uses her tech skills to guide jury selection.
6) “Grown-ish,” 8 p.m. Thursday, Freeform. A senior year that began festively has taken a grim turn. This week’s story (continuing next week) starts with a police shooting of an unarmed Black man. That comes just as Doug is planning a party, bringing instant debates … including the argument that his inaction makes him a “bad Black person.” At times, the writing sounds more like a series of position papers than actual dialog. Still, this talented cast and director are able to make it mostly believable.
7) “Eden: Untamed Planet,” 8 p.m. Saturday, BBC America. Sprawling across 27,000 square miles of Zambian beauty, Luangwa has dazzling diversity. It ranges from rare black rhinos to 10,000 impalas. This hour has great footage of two impalas, brandishing 30-inch horns as they battle for supremacy; a leopard waits for them to tire, then pounces, with a major kill for her five-week-old twins. Surrounded by gorgeous reruns (including “Planet Earth”), this provides a great day for any Olympics-skippers.
8) Olympic wrap-up, NBC. Sunday’s closing ceremony is live at 7 a.m. ET on Peacock, then reruns at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, following a wrap-up at 7. In between are tapes of finals, including (9 a.m., USA) women’s basketball. Peacock has a dozen live finals early Friday and Saturday, many rerunning at night on NBC. More live finals Friday: men’s beach volleyball, evening, CNBC; men’s basketball, 10:30 p,m., NBC. And Saturday: women’s basketball, 10:30 p.m., NBC; women’s volleyball, 11:30 p.m., USA.
9) “Family Game Night” debut, 10:30 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC. As guests on Ellen DeGeneres’ shows, Kristen Bell and her husband, Dax Shepard, have been fiercely competitive. Now they’ll collide weekly: Each week, each will attach to a four-person family, for offbeat games. Also Showtime has two key arrivals on Sunday: At 9 p.m. is the start of “UFO,” J.J. Abrams’ four-week documentary; at 10, “The L Word: Generation Q” finally starts its second season, 18 months after the first one ended.
10) ALSO: Daniel Radcliffe delivers a spectacular performance in “Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail” (10:30 p.m. Tuesday, TBS). The sweet Rev. Ezekiel wanders into a tough (albeit gentrified) cowboy saloon, takes a drink … and transforms. Radcliffe – who was Tony-nominated in a Broadway musical – breaks loose splendidly. Also well-crafted are two Sunday dramas on PBS: A week from its finale, “Unforgotten” (9 p.m.) has a fierce finish; then “Professor T” has a gentle tale of two outsiders.